DANG, TIME FLIES!

The restaurant had run out of Sriracha, probably because there is a Huy Fong shortage and even though there are other brands available they aren't willing to compromise. Which is sad. But I am. While avoiding the brand with a government health warning on the label (the chilies were probably grown on a toxic waste dump outside of Bangkok), I have never-the-less found adequate replacements.

[Huy Fong Sriracha: the crisis is real, there is none to be had. Woe!]

So, because they did not have hot sauce, they offered to provide me with sliced chilies. Yes, that will do fine. And I'm actually quite fond of Jalapeño chili peppers. They are a lovely addition to so many things besides salads or a plate of crudités.
It turns out they are also good with dumplings.


白菜豬肉水餃

The largest difference between bokchoi minced pork dumplings ('paak choi chyu yiuk seui gaau') and the more common chive and pork dumplings (韭菜豬肉水餃 'gau choi chyu yiuk seui gaau') is that bokchoi lends an appealing sweetness.

By the way: please note that the simplified form of 韭 is often 九 (same pronunciation: 'gau'), precisely like the simplified form of 雜 is 杂 ('jaap'). Often menus on the wall will use such glyphs. 九 ("nine") is phonetic in the first simplification, insignificant in the second.

Lunch was extremely enjoyable. I love dumplings.

Afterwards I enjoyed a smoke near the square in a pipe I purchased decades ago. It's a perfect memory device; I've had it during some might strange times and in many places.
It's a well-travelled companion. Still performs like a charm.

Same brand as the other pipe I had with me.

Smoked the 254 earlier on Nob Hill. A shorter smoke, because it served as an appetizer for my lunch, in a manner of speaking. I always pack enough pipe cleaners in my breast pocket so that I'm not caught flatfooted, but both pipes are remarkably dry smokers, so I only needed one cleaner each.

It had turned out to be a good afternoon.
Despite the telephone desis.
Damned goondas.

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